Compare the reference with your stereo image. Turn the width pot until the mix opens out by the same amount.
Drag up and down on the pot. Arrow keys move one step; hold Shift while dragging for small moves.
These comparisons are practice. Your first attempt keeps its score.
Five songs a level. An average of 80 passes.
Hear how wide the mix is.
The whole mix has been made wider or narrower. Turn the width pot until yours opens out by the same amount, from mono through the mix as it was made (100%) to 150%. The centre stays put; the sides move.
How it works
- Play the reference, then switch to Yours.
- Turn the control, compare again, and check when they sound the same.
- After a miss, open Help me hear it: your attempt, the difference doubled, and the correction.
What to listen for
Listen to the edges, not the middle: guitars, backing vocals and the room. The lead vocal barely moves. Compare the space around it.
How it’s scored
Your first check scores out of 100: dead on is 100, and the level’s allowance is 80. An average of 80 over five songs passes. You can keep adjusting after a check to hear the correction; it doesn’t change the score.
Levels
Five levels, scored on the level of the sides against the centre, which is what a width control changes: within 8 dB on level 1, then 5.7, 4, 2.8 and 2 dB. The reference sits between 35% and 125%.
Use stereo headphones, with mono audio and spatial audio switched off. Every setting plays at the same loudness, so the level never gives it away.
Place the SoundPlace the BandMatch the WidthMatch the SpaceFront to BackEchoAll Space levels